


sun will rise and we will try again

by epherians



Category: Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Community: 10_hurt_comfort, Dreams and Nightmares, F/F, Falling In Love, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Missing Scene, Prompt Fic, Rare Characters, Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 18:26:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17027751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epherians/pseuds/epherians
Summary: The two who spent so long in captivity found healing from the ordeal together. Prompts from 10_hurt_comfort on LJ.





	sun will rise and we will try again

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my attempt at Pichi Pichi Pitch fic! I've known this anime for 10+ years and I hope I can finally embrace my mermaid ship.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Injured
> 
> The immediate aftereffects of being released from a sealed tank and winning a major battle for the fate of the seven ocean kingdoms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marrying some elements from the manga, like Gakuto over Gaito (preference) and the reason Coco was sealed - Sara threatened to destroy her kingdom if she didn’t surrender, and out of loyalty to her dearest friend, Coco did.

Coco and Noel had just been freed from imprisonment, and they suffered worse for it.

The battle was over, and the magic of their harmonious song faded. For reasons of escaping that sinking castle, they didn’t think about how they were finally swimming in the ocean waters again. How they could breathe again, speak again, sing again. Many things happened after they were freed; one reunited with her twin sister and the other witnessed the redemption and sacrifice of her best friend. For peace to return to the seven kingdoms, the mermaid princesses would have to leave for their respective homes posthaste—but the two older princesses were in no condition to make the journey on their own.

They didn’t want to trouble Lucia and the others for bringing them to her kingdom—the only place kept safe from Gakuto’s attacks—but the younger princesses were insistent on helping their newfound friends. Caren wouldn’t leave her sister’s side until she was safe.

“We’ll be all right,” Noel assured her twin. “It’s just been a while since we were awoken.”

“Yeah,” Coco agreed, slightly out of breath herself. “If it weren’t for those girls helping us, we might’ve forgotten how to move.”

Caren was concerned. “Sis, what are you saying…?”

“Don’t worry,” Noel answered, definite even in her gentle voice. “Even our injuries can be healed because of our pearls.”

Coco grinned. “Mermaid princesses are tough.”

* * *

Bruises and gashes had nothing on the internal tortures of being sealed in deep sleep. For the deep blue and yellow pearl princesses, recovering after the final battle meant more than just rebuilding their kingdoms. The combined power of the seven princesses’ song was certainly a boost after being set free from their cold slumber—but the rush of magic settled into exhaustion. They would return home with the burden of knowing their captivity under Gakuto was not a painless one.

Before they were sealed in Gakuto’s chambers, they were rendered unconscious and their pearls were taken away from them. The chambers preserved their bodies—and their minds.

They distinctly remembered dreaming eternal dreams.

It felt like they wouldn’t wake up, and they knew they wouldn’t wake up unless they were set free. Their only hope was in the other mermaid princesses having the strength to find Gakuto’s castle and save them, and even then it was a faint hope.

They were forced into sleep, but they were still awake, the memories of their last thoughts swirling and festering and hurting.

_Noel remembered struggling from the water jets, the moment she gave up her freedom to save Rina. Gakuto and his Dark Lovers taunted her incessantly that her sacrifice was in vain. All the while they never released her from her bonds. They restrained her as the deep blue pearl, her only protection and source of power, was taken away from her. Before Noel was sealed, the Dark Lovers taunted her that her sacrifice was meaningless and her friend who escaped would soon be captured too. What about Caren, her twin sister on the far side of the ocean whom she never met? Would they be able to save her? Or would Noel be forgotten and left to remain forever in her chamber of eternal slumber?_

Noel woke up from the nightmare in tears. She choked back a loud sob as the tears flowed and the memories she didn’t want came crashing.

* * *

Coco couldn't sleep without a light on. She didn't want to be in the dark again…or the quiet that kept her awake with the thoughts racing in her head. 

_Coco couldn’t forget the sheer pain of Sara’s corrupted song against her. Why had her friend turned to such darkness…and why wasn’t she able to stop it? Not only had Sara allied with the mermaids’ worst enemy, but she forced Coco to surrender her yellow pearl to Gakuto or her kingdom in the South Pacific would suffer the same destruction as Sara’s. What was Coco more ashamed of—that she went willingly to her sentence knowing she could not leave her friend behind, or that she wasn’t a good enough friend that Sara would easily backstab her for Gakuto’s own gain? And yet despite the eternity spent in that chamber, despite everything that was done to steal away her freedom…she couldn’t hate Sara for doing it. The hope remained that as long as there was love, Sara would find her way to redemption._

_Then just as soon as Sara came back, Sara made a sacrifice and was no more…_

Unable to sleep, the yellow mermaid went to find the one who would understand—the other princess sealed in that castle with her.

 _Had Noel been crying…?_ Coco thought she came at an awkward time, but then Noel noticed her and tried to act like nothing was wrong. 

“Coco?” The deep blue mermaid asked with a teary smile. “What brings you here?”

(Noel was a poor liar.) (Coco _wanted_ to approach her, let her know it was okay to cry it out, but she needed the right words to say because they hadn't known each other and Noel could easily have her walls up.)

“I couldn't sleep,” Coco answered. “So I came to see you.”

Noel started skittishly. “Me?”

The yellow mermaid nodded. “I was wondering if you had memories…when you were sealed in there.”

“If I close my eyes, it's all I can remember…” Noel looked down, her eyes covered by periwinkle bangs. “The same feelings I felt before I was put to sleep. Fear. Loneliness. Feeling helpless…”

“It's like we were forced to relive our memories over and over,” Coco understood it exactly. “No matter how much we wanted to wake up, we couldn’t, and all we could wonder was why.”

“What did we do to deserve it?” Noel asked, much quieter.

Coco put a hand on her shoulder. “We didn't do anything to deserve it—except be in their way.”

And that, for some reason, made Noel look down, and Coco was scared she said something wrong. But Noel didn't leave. She didn't know how to respond, but that made Coco nervous on what to say next.

“Hey, we’re alive now, right?” The yellow mermaid asked. “It's over…and we’re free again.”

She could feel Noel nod where she stayed put. “I know, and I'm sorry for being like this…”

“Don't be,” Coco assured. “I know what you're going through.”

“Coco, please, you don't have to worry about me-”

“ _Noel._ Please don’t look away.”

There it was again, a hand on her shoulder. Noel wanted so badly to protect herself, claim nothing was troubling her. But as soon as Coco reached out to her, she instantly felt disarmed, the memories that distressed her rushing back as she knew she had someone to confide in. 

In fact, Coco held her arms out for the other mermaid to embrace her and cry into her shoulder. Not once would she think of judging her, for she knew how heavily the burden weighed on them.

“You’ve been worried as well…” Noel sobbed in relief.

“You want to talk about it?” Coco asked. 

The deep blue mermaid agreed. “I think it's the best way to cope.”

They stayed and talked late into the night. They agreed it was going to be hard to forget what happened, but they would need to be stronger for everyone who was relying on them. The younger princesses, Caren included, did not need to know their pain.

When Coco turned to leave, Noel kept her hand on hers. “Please, stay with me tonight? I feel if I'm with you, I won't be afraid.”

“I'm not going anywhere,” Coco affirmed with a strong hug. “I could rest easier too if you're by my side.”

The two princesses were asleep together until the next morning. Nothing peculiar was felt about it, and they shared another hug for seeing each other again.

“ _I'm glad you're alive._ ”


End file.
